Today we are taking the wraps off what promises to be our most widely adopted technology to date - Overlay.TV for Interaction.  This breakthrough technology has been in the works for some time now and we are proud to be delivering it as a first-time extension for interactive overlays that transcend online video.  Already this morning we have seen thousands of examples of it in use.

The premise is very similar to the Overlay.TV technology we have been working with in the past with one major difference - it does not require an online video and targets.  Instead real objects are placed in the path or line-of-sight for a user and they are able to fully interact with the objects.

To illustrate the difference, take a look at the two examples below, courtesy of our new user, charlesandmarie.com and their creation, Fab5TV.  In the first model, we see the person enabling interaction with the object through the use of an Overlay.TV product widget that allows viewers to get more information on, or even purchase, the product in hand.

In the second example this powerful technology takes over, and we see the person actually interacting with an object themselves - a fully tactile experience that perfectly replicates how we interact with objects in real life.

We expect to see massive adoption for this in a short time, and are already working on cases such as:

• being able to actually drive the car you see in an advertisement or movie
• shopping in physical stores for objects you see online, or interacting with them after shipping from e-commerce
• meeting people in person and shaking their hand or hugging them

This also opens up new possibilities in word-of-mouth or viral marketing, wherein people will describe the experience they have with these objects to other people.
Overlay.TV for Interaction will continue development over the course of the year, and we will keep you informed as we uncover new and exciting use cases for everyday interaction with objects new and old.

(please bear in mind that this was originally posted on April 1st)

fab5 · interaction · objects · overlay · Overlay.TV · technology

March is a busy, busy month for Overlay.TV types. We'll be hitting the road, churning through the airmiles and hoping to see as many of your friendly faces as possible as we spend our time talking and more importantly, listening to folks who are interested in video, media, advertising, trends and more.

First stop for this chiquita is the Women in Film Festival in Vancouver. This fantastic, vibrant film festival is put on by Women In Film and Television Vancouver. Overlay.TV - specifically me - will be participating in the New Media Forum Day on Wednesday, March 4th, 2009 at the Vancity Theatre in downtown Vancouver, as we talk to film types about what opportunities there are to spread their word and grow their audience using Social and New Media. Come see my panel at 1:00 PM on Emerging Trends and Technology, as I talk technologies, applications and platforms with such amazing people as Thecla Schiphorst, Jean Hebert, James Eberhardt and Jennifer Ouano. There's also great panels on Getting your Feet Wired, Social Media How-To, and Monetizing your content, as well as a reception and demos to see a little more of everything.  For more comprehensive information on the Women in Film Festival New Media Day, you can check out the Media Kit or the Blog. And on the day and throughout the festival you can follow the happenings by using the Twitter hashtag WIFF09.

Next stop will be the TV Of Tomorrow Show 2009, March 10th and 11th in San Francisco.  As the the leading global conference for the interactive television (iTV) industry, this conference, now in its third year, will bring the latest iTV technology and content issues to the forefront in dynamic panel discussions, keynotes and a technology showcase. The TV of Tomorrow Show attracts representatives from all corners of the iTV industry, including senior executives, producers, creators, technologists, and venture capitalists from across the broadcast, studio, operator, Web TV, network/programmer, advertising, and Web 2.0 communities. Our VP of Marketing, Ben Watson (also known as @bitpakkit) will be presenting on the "Future of Broadband Advertising" panel and perhaps even more.

Never ones to rest, the next stop is: SXSW - pronounced "South by Southwest" - in sunny Austin, Texas! The enormous show highlights the best in Social Media, Film and Music, and attracts thousands from all over the world. A whole contingent from OTV will be present at the Austin Convention Centre from March 13 to 22, present for all three festivals - Interactive, film and Music. Come by our Platinum booth at station 317/416 and say hello! We'll have demos, little freebies, cool conversation and of course, awesome people. We'll also have a keg tapped during the Block Party on Sunday, March 15 - who can resist?

Overlay.TV is also excited - we got an Honorable Mention in the SXSW Microsoft BizSpark Accellerator event. The newest addition to the SXSW Interactive schedule of activities, this event spotlights some of the web's most exciting new innovations, enabling the creative people behind these new products to demo them to a live audience of industry professionals and technology trend-setters. While Overlay.TV is not a finalist and won't be participating in the Accelerator unless another company can't make it, we're still thrilled to be given an honorable mention and chuffed to be in the company of such great companies and products. We wish great good luck to all the finalists.

We hope to see you at one or more of these events - please come by.

Overlay.TV · SXSW · TVOT · WIFF09

Just a quick note to say thank you to all our amazing, innovative users and customers for making 2008 a great year for everyone here at Overlay.TV.  We have had many successes this year including:

• Beta launch in February
• Building an amazing team
• GA launch in September
• Our weekly show with Amber Mac, The OverView
• First customers including Nettwerk Records, Transcontinental Media, Hollywood Records, KidzBop and more.
• Launch of several custom players
• First API users
• Second round financing in December

We have been working hard on the next generation products for Overlay.TV and we plan on making 2009 a banner year for interactive video.  We will be speaking and showing our stuff at several tradeshows including:

• ITVT - TV of Tomorrow
• Shop Online 2009
• SXSW - big presence here for both the music and interactive 
• AdTech

So be sure to catch up with us here or there and find out what's in store for interactive video in '09.  Happy New Year and best wishes in 2009! 

2008 · 2009 · customers · Interactive Video · new year · Overlay.TV

If my memory serves me correctly, this time of year used to mean slowing down, long lunches to celebrate the year, and taking games into school. Well this has been one crazy great year at Overlay.TV, and as we approach the holidays we have no intention of slowing down!

All we seem to read about is how bad things are getting. Well let me re-iterate "things are what you make 'em." Over here we are seeing acceleration across all areas of our business, but there is one main area of change. Rather than chasing new dollars for campaigns and promotions, we are increasingly working to maximize the returns on the limited dollars that already exist.

Overlay.TV's business sits at the intersection of video, advertising and eCommerce, and I believe most people would agree that these are pretty large areas. Our second round a financing gives us the fire power to scale into our partnerships and form new one's along the way. Engagement metrics from initiatives like the Jonas Brothers Sing Along have been, quite frankly, off the charts, but more of that in the New Year.

So with that at the end of a great Q4, I want to say thank you to an amazing team, to investors that believe in us, and to you, the community that help us build a company. Happy Holidays and Merry Christmas.

And thanks for all the great coverage we received today:

Overlay.tv raises $4.6m in backing

Overlay.TV gets boost to push overlay technology in video

Video Ad Provider Overlay.TV Raises $3.8 Million Second Round

Overlay.tv Gets Another $4.6 Million

Tech Capital doubles bets on Overlay.TV and PostRank

Overlay.TV closes 2nd round financing with $4.6 Million

Overlay.TV Closes Second Round Financing

Ottawa-based Overlay.tv closes 4.6 million in second round financing

Overlay.tv secures some more cash, second financing round nets $4.7M

Video Ad Provider Overlay.TV Raises $3.8 Million Second Round

Overlay.TV Secures $4.6 Million Funding

Overlay.TV scores second round of financing

Overlay.TV Lands $3.7 Million for Interactive Video Platform

· advertising · financing · Jonas Brothers · Overlay.TV · PR Release

Contribution. Sharing. Interests. Passion. Talent

The new faces of social media are sharing their passion and talent in forums that make the seemingly impossible possible. How do you go beyond words to express your love of something? How do you connect your contributions to those from people in over 100 countries simultaneously? How do we obfuscate technology and deliver community experiences that create engagement levels never before seen and at the same time give people a reason to stay up late, practice their potential and ultimately share this with the world?

We do it by delivering an experience that resists the urge to describe itself, and instead offer a single point of entry and action (similar to the iPod 'wheel' or the Google Search button) that allows for a common and shared experience that is immediately accessible - in this case "Create Your Own".

I give you first exhibit A - the new faces of social media - and if you click on any one of them (below) you will see what they shared just minutes or hours ago at the Jonas Brothers Vocal Booth. Forget the technology for a minute and focus on what was going through the minds of these very passionate community members from all around the world as they sang along with their favorite boy band, crush in, and hearts out.

Consider a few things as you ponder this - this wall of faces represents a very small 1-2% of the actual tens of thousands of participants who engaged in the experience. Beyond the bravery to share their version of a song sung by their heroes with their heroes and thousands of fans who are tuning in to watch the versions (many visitors now watch as many as 20 or more of the videos) they also overcame network, technology, bandwidth and hardware issues that would daunt most of the leaders in this space that are more than twice the age of our contributors here. It is one thing to soapbox, but it is indeed quite another level of sharing to sing when you are up on it.

These days we too often focus on the why or the how and not the what of social media. And when we think about the who, it would be great to focus on who really benefits from all the work, theory, technology and effort that goes into building great experiences.

These are a few of the new faces of social media. As a parent we can be proud of our children safely sharing their talent and passion with the world at large, and in my very humbled opinion they are worthy of nothing less than a standing ovation of heartfelt applause for their considerable effort and passion.

(reposted from http://bitpakkit.com )

experiences · faces · Jonas Brothers · Overlay.TV · sing · social media · technology · Video · youth

Last week I gave you the inside scoop on our latest partnership with the Disney owned Hollywood Records, before it went live to the media and general public. Well, today the official press release has gone out to all media outlets announcing the wide release of The Jonas Brothers Overlay.TV Vocal Booth. In our limited run, The Jonas Brothers Overlay.TV Vocal Booth could only be accessed through the Jonas Brothers official website, but now fans can also access it through their official MySpace and Facebook pages. That means loads more fans singing their hearts to "Lovebug," and trying to get the those JB boys to notice them. And trust me when I say these fans are getting creative. Here's just a few examples of the lengths fans will go to, including camping out at an Apple Store to get access to a webcam and potentially the Jonas Brothers!

APPLE STORE FUNNNN

SIDNEY SUPERSTAR

ESTER MARIA I XENIA - SPAIN

 SPONTANEOUS POETRY WITH MAGGIE AND ELLEN

I AM A ROCKSTAR!!!

Disney · Hollywood Records · Jonas Brothers · Overlay.TV · Press Release · Sing-Along · Vocal Booth

Remember when you were a kid and you were 'like, oh my God, totally in love with,' let's say Duran Duran, or for those a little younger, New Kids on the Block, and how much you thought your love for them was so real and profound it made your heart ache? How you would lay awake at night in your pink canopy bed imagining your unicorn-themed wedding to Simon Le Bon or Donnie Wahlberg, just before rolling over and giving their poster one last kiss goodnight? How when you heard any of their songs on the radio, you would go absolutely crazy with delight, and sing at the top of your lungs into your hairbrush, dancing around your room to your legions of imaginary fans? Anyone? No? You totally lie.

Anyway, fast forward to 2008 and the new kids on the block are now Jonas Brothers, and posters still exist, but do so in a virtual universe. Now, imagine that you could sing-along with the Jonas Brothers and the whole world could see it. Kinda like karaoke, but not so lame. Well, Overlay.TV, together with the Disney-owned label Hollywood Records, has made that a reality.

Fans of the Jonas Brothers can now go to their official website and get in The Jonas Brothers Overlay.TV Vocal Booth and sing-along with them to their latest hit 'Lovebug.' It's super simple too. Click on the "Create Your Own!" button to start recording your very own version of 'Lovebug' while you sing-along with the JB boys themselves at the same time. Tell your kids, your friend’s kids, kids at school, stranger’s kids, your nieces and nephews, anyone who you think is a die hard JB fan, or just someone who likes to show off their musical chops. It's loads of PG good fun and gets you that much closer to Nick, Joe and Kevin. Like OMG!!!!

· Disney · Hollywood Records · Jonas Brothers · Overlay.TV · Sing-Along · Vocal Booth

Not only is ELLE Canada the online home of the synonymously titled print mag (and the Canadian gals fashion bible), it is now the home of interactive videos, thanks to a partnership with Overlay.TV. For many print publications who have forayed into the dot-com fashion arena, video is becoming an increasingly huge part of the make-up of these sites, everything from runway shows, to how-tos, to behind the scenes footage, and ELLE Canada is no exception. What's lacking from most online video, particularly fashion and style based video, is the interactivity, the ability to find out what products they are using, info about the clothes and accessories, and the ability to shop. Now ELLE Canada, being a trailblazer of sorts in the fashion universe, is one of the first dedicated online fashion sites to offer this level of interactivity. You can now shop, find out info,  and much more, all while watching a video. It's just a matter of time before the rest of the online fashion community follows suit. Watch the video below and experience the interactivity for yourself.

ELLE Canada · interactivity · online magazines · Overlay.TV · partners · shop · Transcontinental · Video

Overlay.TV is proud to preview the first episode of The OverView (click for all episodes) with Amber MacArthur, our new weekly series for online video fans.  Enjoy and be sure to leave any suggestions or feedback in the comments.

In this embed I have disabled the create, on/off function, and carousel to give an example of a cleaner implementation of our player.

Thanks for watching!

creator · eepybird · lighting · online · overlay · Overlay.TV · overview · stickynotes · The OverView · Video · viral

Recently my co-worker Faisal, like many in the Web 2.0 world, started a blog, (actually it's a tumblelog) entitled My Science Project on Tumblr. Tumblr is the answer for those who have something to say, but don't want to say it in the editorial style that has become the norm for most blogs. Faisal has posted pics, links, quotes and, of course, video Overlays.  What's so cool is how seamlessly the Overlay.TV player fits into Faisal's template, as though it has been designed specifically for Tumblr. Our design team re-designed our player, so that aesthetically it would look good on virtually any site, but to see that it actually does is just ... well, neat.

So to prove a point to myself I decided to make a Tumblr account of my own, just to see how our player would look with a different Tumblr theme. Faisal has chosen the "Minimalist" theme for his tumblelog, so I chose "Litewire" as my theme and I must say looking good:

Simple, clean ... elegant. And something else that is almost as satisfying as the player looking good on Tumblr, is how easy it is to embed an Overlay. Seriously. Click "share" on our player, select a size (in my case small), select "video" on your Tumblr dashboard, paste in the embed, add a caption, click "create new post" and you're done! Tumblr's all about the easy sharing and so are we.

aesthetics · embed · Overlay.TV · Platform · player · share · Tumblr · Web 2.0